People organising summer fêtes and parties in outdoor event spaces will have their job made easier, as councils agreed to reduce the amount of paperwork involved.

Summer fêtes and galas used to be a common sight in British towns and villages at this time of year. However, red tape and rising insurance premiums have led to many popular events being scrapped.

For a number of years, organisers have had to fill out several forms, apply for temporary road closure and carry out extensive risk assessments before getting their events approved. Now, though, the process is set to become much simpler, with only one form required.

According to BBC News, organisers can face costs ranging from £75 to £3,000 to stage an event, most of which covers the impact of road closures. It is hoped that the new, simplified system will considerably reduce these costs.

For his part, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said that he wants Britain to maintain its tradition for summer fêtes and outdoor parties, and he hopes that the new measures will encourage more people to stage events.

“Summer fêtes and street parties are a great British tradition that we risk losing to overbearing bureaucracy,” he told the Communities and Local Government website.

“Of course we want people to be safe and sound but common sense has to prevail. People are being turned off getting involved due to a merry go round of forms, rules that differ from one council to the next, time and expense,” he added.